Mavericks

Wednesday's notebook

December 12, 1991

MAVERICKS: Dallas coach Richie Adubato was fined $3,000 by the NBA on Wednesday for making disparaging remarks about the officiating in the Mavericks' 104-101 loss to the Seattle SuperSonics on Saturday night. Adubato was called for a technical foul after the halftime buzzer for complaining vigorously about a non-call when Derek Harper drove for the basket late in the second quarter. After the game, Adubato also claimed the officials failed to call a foul when Rolando Blackman lost the ball out of bounds with less than a minute remaining, saying it was retaliation for Adubato's earlier protest. ''The ref took the game away from us,'' Adubato said. ''I'll probably be fined, but I don't care. The ref can't take the game away from the players just because he's mad at the coach. Coaches lose their jobs because of refs' blown calls.'' Harper said the turnover against Blackman was the most critical play in the final moments and possibly cost the Mavericks the game.

SUPERSONICS: Guard Quintin Dailey has been placed on waivers. Sonics coach K.C. Jones said the move was made because of a dispute over playing time. Dailey has appeared in only 11 of the team's 19 games this year and has averaged nine minutes and 2.8 points per game. ''He was very upset with the minutes, or the lack of minutes,'' Jones said. ''He was a great player years ago. But the main thing was that he missed training camp. And you don't get a chance to play yourself back into shape during the regular season.'' Dailey spent the summer and early fall receiving treatment for adult residual attention deficit disorder, a condition marked by hyperactivity and impulsive behavior.

Dailey, 30, was in his third year with the Sonics after three years with the Los Angeles Clippers and four with the Chicago Bulls. Dailey plans to sign with a team in the newly formed Global Basketball League. He said he would like to someday work as an NBA referee. Dailey will be replaced on the roster by reserve guard Bart Kofoed, who was placed on the injured list with a sprained collarbone when power forward Shawn Kemp returned Nov. 26.

BUCKS: Moses Malone, allowed to leave the Atlanta Hawks as a free agent after last season, returned to Atlanta Tuesday and showed the Hawks he can still play, scoring 27 points, grabbing 13 rebounds and playing 37 minutes. Milwaukee lost anyway, 118-104.